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'PÉNIS ASSASSINO' BY JANUS
This comic, aptly named “The Killer Penis”, is in Portuguese but with English subtitles and was recently chosen by Paul Gravett, renowned writer and curator within the comics publishing and promotion industry, as one of the best comics in Portugal.
Janus is a Porto-based brute force of comics and animation-making. Working alone for no glory, mostly in photocopied fanzines, it was only due to an independent and maniac publisher that his work would be compiled and published in book form. He is mostly known for a previous project, somewhat autobiographical, in which all the characters were depicted as ugly monkeys. This is a book that he did years ago but only now found an opportunity to have published. It is the portrait of a young man who discovers that every time he ejaculates, he kills the women he’s with. He tries to avoid it and is consumed by guilt, but strange twists and turns, under the influence of what one could call a witch, lead him always to terrifying deeds. In many aspects, as in his previous work, there is quite probably a very strong yet disguised autobiographical aspect. Catholic upbringing, sexual experiences and too many comics bring into formation this weird tale (Binky Brown meets The Killer Condom, perhaps).
